Oftentimes when we start a new project or attempt to pick up a new skill, we get nervous about the idea and try to block out our anxiety. Peter Bregman over on the The Harvard Business Review suggests the opposite approach: acknowledge your fears and use them as a starting point for how to tackle the project.

The idea is that when you acknowledge your fears you can make the steps necessary to dive into a big project. Bregman suggests:

By recognizing that you don't have all the tools, information, skills, and support to see the project through, you're identifying your next, manageable step in getting started: rounding up the tools, information, skills, and support.

When you acknowledge these fears you can create a step-by-step plan to starting your big project because you can identify what you're missing. Instead of diving in right away and finding yourself in over your head, you'll have a list of what you need to succeed. Check out the full post on Harvard Business Review for a few more suggestions on getting your big project off the ground. Photo by liz west.